Double-walled container



July 15, 1958 R. E. PAIGE 2,843,308

DOUBLE-WALLED CONTAINER Filed May 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig 2 F|Q.5 I

July 15, 1958 R. E. PAIGE 2,843,308

DOUBLE-WALLED CONTAINER Filed May 16, less 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.8 Fig.9 gg

A TTOEIVE) United States Patent 2,843,308 DOUBLE-WALLED CONTAINER Richard E. Paige, New York, N. Y. Application May 16, 1956, Serial No. 585,225 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-37) This invention is an improvement in containers or receptacles for merchandise; especially a box or carton made of flexible sheet material scored so that it can be bent into form and set up for use.

An important object of my invention is to provide a receptacle that can be made from a blank of corrugated cardboard, for example, divided by score lines into hinged sections so connected with one another than when the parts are correctly joined and the sections are bent and folded to give the receptacle its final shape, it will have double layers of cardboard over the full extent of its bottom and all its sides. Such a container is well adapted for the handling of vegetables and fruits.

When such boxes are made out of a cardboard blank in one piece, with double layers at every point, some of the layers at the bottom overlap and envelop others, and the bottom has a tendency to develop weakness unless the entire structure is carefully designed. Another object is, to, eliminate. this Weakness and to provide a container having double layers throughout that is strong and durable in practically all sizes and shapes in which it is constructed.

Other objects and the nature of the invention are fully described herein and the novel features are defined in the claims appended hereto. The drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, but changes in minor respects may of course be made without altering or omitting any of the essential characteristics.

On the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the blank of cardboard for the container.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of the container as it appears on FigureS, showing the device in an intermediate adjusted stage between the stages shown in Figures 4 and 6.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 taken substantially on the line 3 of Figure 5.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a carton device constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in collapsed condition.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of tially set-up condition.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the carton in completely set-up condition.

Figure 7 is a plan view of Figure 3.

Figure 7a is a view similar to Figure 7 showing details of the structure of the floor or bottom of the container.

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 88 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 99 of Figure 7.

A substantially rectangular carton of the present improved char-acter may be formed of a single substantially rectangular blank of foldable sheet material which is scored and cut as indicated on Figure 1. Parallel to the long edge 2 is a score line 3. This line, in conjunction with transverse score lines 4, defines a series of four the device in par- 2,843,308 Patented. July 15, 1958 rectangular sections or panels 5, 6, 7 and 8 to serve as the four sides of a tubular shell of substantially rectangular cross section. The panels 5 and 7' are substantially equal in size, and the panels 6 and 8 are substantially equal in size but may be smaller than the panels 3 and 4. The panel 6 has an opening 9, and the panel 8 is provided with the similar opening 10. These panels are at one side of the blank and will make four sides of. an inner tubular shell to nest within an outer tubular shell to be formed of similar panels along the other long side of the blank.

Parallel to the opposite edge 11 of the blank is a score line 12, which, in conjunction with transverse score lines 13 defines a second series of substantially rectangular panels 14, 15, 16 and 17. The panels 14 and.16: are substantially equal in size and match the panels 5. and 7, and the panels 15 and 17 are substantially equal in size and match the panels 6 and 8. The panel 15 has the opening 18, and. the panel 17 has a similar opening 19. These panels 14-17 are adapted to form the four sides of the outer tubular shell above mentioned. Each score line 4 is in alinement with one of the scores 13.

Between the score lines 3 and 12, the blank is cut and scored to define a series of adjacent foldable connecting strips to make up the floor or bottom. One connecting strip or portion consists of the sections 20 and 21 mutually hinged along the center line 22. The sections 20 and 21 are trapezoidal in shape, the long base of the trapezoid 20 coinciding with the long edge of the panel 5, and the long base of the trapezoid 21 coinciding with the long edge of thepanelll. A similar set of sections 23 and 24 are formed between the panels 7 and 16, the sections 23 and 24 being mutually hinged along the center line of fold 25.

The connecting strip between the panels 6 and 15 is substantially rectangular and consists of the sections 26 and 27 mutually hinged centrally at 28 in line with the scores 22 and 25; and a similar strip consisting ofthe sections 29 and 30 hinged centrally'togeth'er at 31, is interposed between the panels 10 and 17.

After the blank has been scored and cut as indicated in Figure 1 and as herein described, it is folded upon itself along the line 12, and is then folded transversely along the lines 4 and 13 until the hinged attachment flap 32 (on the end of panel 17) is broughtinto overlapping engagement with the free edgeof the panel 14; This flap is then secured to this free edge either by gluing, stapling, or otherwise, and the resultant structure assumes the flattened condition shown in Figure 4. Thiscompletes the manufacturing procedure, which, it will be noted; is extremely simple and inexpensive. In the condition shown in Figure 4, the device may be stacked with others, packaged, readily transported, or stored.

The process of setting up the device is illustrated most clearly in Figures 2-9. The first step is to open thede vice into the condition shown in Figure 5, in which each shell assumes a substantially tubular configuration. The outer shell, as hereinbefore mentioned, consists of the panels 14-17, its lower edge being defined by the line 12. The inner shell consists of thepanels: S -10, its lower edge being defined by the line 3. Connecting these edges are the strips which, in Figures 4 and 5, lie adjacent to the respective panels which they unite.

The next and final step in setting up the structure is illustrated most clearly in Figures 2 and 3, and consists in telescoping the inner shell into the outer shell. During this movement, each trapezoidal strip doubles inward upon itself. During this folding adjustment, the rectangular strips or sections 26-27 and 29-30 slide into positions between the folded halves of the adjacent trapezoidal strips and are overlapped thereby. Ultimately, the

four folded trapezoidal'strips lie in the interengaged relation shown most clearly in Figures 7, 8 and 9. In these positions the sections connecting the outer and inner shells make a floor in the container having double layers like" the sides and ends.

Upon completion of the setting-up operation there will be a registry of the openings 9 and 18 in one of the sides of the carton, and a corresponding registry of the openings 101and 19 in the opposite sides. Each pair of registering openings affords a convenient hand grip by means of which the carton may be conveniently grasped for lifting it or transporting it from place to place.

In the embodiment illustrated, the set of panels --10 are substantially the same size respectively as the set of panels 1417. These dimensions do not preclude a nesting of one of the shells one inside the other, because the'sides of the inner shell will bend or flex sufficiently to permit the inner shell to be snugly telescoped into the outer shell. If the sheet material employed is of heavier variety, the design lends itself readily to the formation of an inner shell slightly smaller than the outer shell so that the nesting of one within the other may still be more readily accomplished. For example, this result may be achieved in connection with the blank of Figure 1, by shifting slightly to the right the left-hand edge of the panel 5 and the fold line 4 between panels 5 and 6, and by shifting slightly to the left the right-hand edge of panel 8 and the fold line 4 between panels 7 and 8, the line 4 between panels 6 and 7 being retained, as shown, in accurate alignment with the line 13 between panels 15 and 16.

The foregoing detailed description discloses the general construction of the container of my invention, produced from a single blank of sheet material that can be ordinary or corrugated cardboard, with an outline and score lines to enable it to be collapsed or set up to present sides and bottom all with two layers. But I have found by experience that, with alternating indented connecting strips each having inward inclined lateral edges intersecting at the central fold lines or junctions of the two halves at the narrowest part, the bottom of the container is apt to develop weakness if the central fold lines of the indented strips are too short. This is particularly the case when the container approaches a square shape. I have therefore originated a special design in which the fold lines 22 and 25 are made longer and the rectangular strips with straight parallel sides are given such shape that the strips can all be disposed as before with the rectangular strips overlapped in part by the indented strips to form a bottom in two layers that is flat and neat, but much stronger.

To this end the indented sides 33 of the strips, comprising the foldable halves 20 and 21, 23 and 24 make angles at the center of each indented strip that are greater than right angles, so that the inner ends of the indentations of each strip are far enough apart to give the fold lines 22 and 25 a length greater than the distance between the junctions of the folded halves of the rectangular strips when all the connecting strips are in position to form the bottom of the container. See Figure 7. Then the extremities of the junctions of the folded portions of the indented strips will lie between the junctions indicated by the lines 28 and 31 of the folded portions of the rectangular strips and the one side of the container having the layers 613 and the opposite side of the container. The folded rectangular strips must therefore be shaped to give clearance to the folded indented strips.

I therefore cut matching recesses 34 in each half of the rectangular strips, as best shown in Figures 1, 7 and 7a. The recesses 34 are in the middle of the rectangular strips on each side of the score or fold lines 28 and 31. The recesses 34 are narrow and rounded at the inner ends, but at their outer ends they are wider, and have convex side edges curving away from the middle. T-hese recesses are equal in depth to the extent by which the ends of the junctions marked by the lines 22 and 25 of the folded portions of the indented strips lie beyond the junctions delineated by the lines 28 and 31 of the folded halves of the rectangular strips, when the connecting strips are all in folded positions.

Hence, as the box is set up by moving the inner shell down into the outer shell the indented strips and the rectangular strips are doubled simultaneously about the score lines across the centers. The recesses 34 in the two halves of each rectangular strip come into coinciding positions and the junctions of the folded portions of the indented strips move toward the middle of the container and finally come into line with the recesses 34 and the ends of said junctions inserted into said recesses. See Figures 7 and 7a. These junctions marked by the lines 22' and 25 at last reach the positions shown in Figure 7, their extremities at last taking positions between the fold lines of the rectangular strips and the sides of the container parallel to the last-named fold lines. The fold lines of the indented strips are thus longer than the distance between the fold lines of the rectangular strips when the container is set up and the bottom of the container is in place as illustrated in Figure 7.

Thus the bottom is greatly strengthened and boxes that are virtually square in outline, as well as rectangular boxes with long sides and shorter ends, can be built in the manner above described.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A carton comprising inner and outer shells made up of connected inner and outer panels joined at the sides and disposed in telescoping relation, and portions each connected to the bottom edges of adjacent inner and outer panels, said portions each being doubled'along' transverse fold lines at the middle thereof to form two superposed sections, all the sections overlapping to form the bottom of said carton; the section-s of some of said portions being disposed between the sections of other portions, some of said portions having recesses at the center of the lines of fold thereof, the remaining portions at the ends of the fold lines thereof being seated in said recesses to secure said portions in their bottom forming positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,546,601 Morris July 21, 1925 1,965,215 Boeye July 3, 1934 2,577,588 Paige Dec. 4, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 546,230 Great Britain July 2, 1942 631,472 Great Britain Nov. 3, 1949 

